5 Free Online Courses to Boost Your Career

One of the most frustrating things a professional will face in their career is feeling stuck. There comes a point when the competition is steep in your field and the only way to get a leg up is to tack another skill or certification onto your resume. The only problem is: how do you find the time? Read on to learn more about free online courses that can boost your career in little to no time at all.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are one of the most convenient and affordable ways to further one’s education and career, but they’ve gotten a bad rap. Perhaps the reason these courses are deemed ineffective by the vast majority is because hardly any of the enrollees are actually completing the online courses — a mere 7 percent, to be exact.

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That’s not to say that, for the few who do complete MOOCs, the courses aren’t effective and beneficial professionally. In fact, a recent study by Coursera, an online educational platform that offers MOOCs, and professors from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Washington found that “72 percent of survey respondents reported career benefits and 61 percent reported educational benefits,” says Harvard Business Review.

This particular study surveyed 52,000 participants who had enrolled in MOOCs for either educational or professional purposes. Of these participants, 52 percent said that they enrolled to enhance their current job or seek out greener pastures. Within that group of “career builders,” 87 percent reported “a career benefit of some kind.”

If you’re interested in advancing your career with further (online) education, then consider one of these five free online courses.

Advancing in your career doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to earn another degree and rack up more student loan debt. Some online courses are free and convenient, so that you can still maintain your 9-to-5 as usual.

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What online course do you think would benefit your career the most? Share your pick with our community on Twitter or leave a comment below.

Leah Arnold-Smeets

Leah Arnold-Smeets, owner of Emiko Consulting, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs capitalize on their strengths, improve on their weaknesses, and reach their full potential. Leah obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Entrepreneurial Studies from the University of Southern California (USC).